Republican U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Shreveport scored an easy reelection victory in the 4th Congressional District on Tuesday night and will now turn his attention to defending the top job in Congress if the GOP maintains its slim majority in the House.

With the majority of early votes released, Johnson received 85 percent of the vote, while his Republican opponent, Joshua Morott, received 15 percent.

“We’re optimistic about the future,” Johnson told supporters at his Election Night party in Shreveport. “I believe America’s best days are ahead of us.”

Johnson said he would leave Shreveport after the party to fly to Mar-a-Lago in Florida to support former President Donald Trump.

Johnson’s unexpected speaker elevation a year ago came as he emerged as a compromise option after weeks of chaos following the ouster of former California Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Since then, he has been campaigning for his Republican colleagues to defend their seats, both in the House and on the road, and raising money to support them.

“Every minute has been full since he took the gavel,” Johnson said in a previous exclusive interview with the USA Today Network. “There were no outages.”

But Johnson said he embraced the new rush of responsibility and relentless schedule.

“I wake up every day with excitement and enjoy the opportunity presented to me,” he said. “I see this as an opportunity for renewal and restoration, and I enjoy being in a position to lead the country in that direction.”

Johnson survived a formal challenge to the presidency in May from a handful of Republicans led by Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and won a vote of confidence when the House voted overwhelmingly to reject Greene’s effort to fire him.

“I hope this will be the end of the personality politics and senseless character assassination that characterized the 118th Congress,” Johnson said after surviving the threat to his job.

Johnson may face another challenge to his presidency when the new Congress convenes in 2025.

But he worked hard to solidify his support with a barnstorming campaign tour.

Since becoming speaker a year ago — the first from Louisiana in history — Johnson has traveled to more than 210 cities and 40 states to campaign.

More: U.S. Spokesman Mike Johnson of Shreveport honors Louisiana woman as adoptive ‘angel’

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the Louisiana USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.

This article first appeared in the Shreveport Times: Shreveport House Speaker Mike Johnson re-elected in Louisiana landslide